Last week’s High Court decision to allow large employers to ditch state and territory workers’ compensation schemes and self-insure under the Federal Government’s Comcare has prompted more companies to plan their exit from state systems.

However, the Government has passed laws to narrow access to Comcare so that it remains financially viable, predicting that tightening eligibility criteria will save $20 million a year.

In the past few years Comcare has experienced a substantial increase in high-cost claims, especially those arising from psychological injury.

About 40 large companies are understood to be investigating a switch to Comcare. They include security company Chubb, ANZ Banking Group and Toll Holdings. Optus, Linfox and the National Australia Bank have already moved to the Comcare scheme.

Optus estimates the pre-tax saving of being under Comcare compared with the Victorian system is $186,000 a month.

Private companies are eligible to join Comcare if they compete against current or former Federal Government authorities. In Australia this relationship is prevalent in banking, telecommunications, air and land transport, defence, broadcasting and postal services.